Food Stories: Breakfast in Yerevan

Gluttony (Latin, gula) is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything. The word derives from the Latin gluttire, which means to gulp down or swallow. In Christianity, gluttony is considered a sin if the excessive desire for food causes it to be withheld from the needy.

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The immoderate desire for food is a sin, but damn, it’s so satisfying. We all find ourselves striving for food at some point of the day and it’s useful to learn where to find decent food and what to expect from it. Breakfast, the most important meal of the day, will start our series about food with some breakfast choices offered in Yerevan.

The culture of having a breakfast outside of home is relatively new to Armenia. Very few restaurants offered breakfast menu just a couple of years ago. Moreover, you would be lucky to find a restaurant open at an early hour. I used to watch the movies with scenes where a waiter or the owner of small café or a restaurant would prepare the kitchen utensils or dry the plates in anticipation of early morning guests. I could even feel the strong smell of filtered coffee and freshly baked bread. Nowadays, these types of movie-like scenes can be observed in Yerevan too. Almost all of the cafes and restaurants offer a special breakfast menu.

Aperitivo Yerevan

Located in the corner of Cascade, Aperitivo is a very comfy place where you can enjoy good food and the view of Cascade. You will love the service, and if you are nice, you may get a compliment from the restaurant in a form of additional toasts or fresh bread. For just 2400 AMD (5 USD) you get a decent English breakfast with 3 eggs, grilled vegetables, 2 slices of bacon, 3 grilled sausages, and white beans. You also get toasts and coffee/tea.

Black Angus

Black Angus gets a 5 star for its service and overall environment. The staff is always friendly and most importantly they smile (which is a rare thing in Armenia).

Both branches of Black Angus are located in the city center, one on Mashtots Street (near Cascade) another in Abovyan Street (at the end of Northern Avenue). You can choose between English breakfast and Armenian breakfast, yet both are offered at reasonable prices. For 2700 AMD (5.5 USD) you will get an English breakfast with 2 egg omelette, grilled bacon, white beans, bavarian sausages on the bread with melted cheese, lettuce salad, and homemade compote. You can, of course, take tea or coffee instead of compote if you prefer to do so.

Another option is the Armenian breakfast, which offers 2 boiled eggs, grilled cheese, olives, fresh tomato and cucumber, fresh greens and tea or coffee for 2200 AMD (4.5 USD) . This is especially a good choice in summer when a huge variety of fresh greens are available.

The Italian

The Italian is a comfy and tasty restaurant located on Hanrapetutyan Street, under the strict eye of Garegin Nzdeh (the statue). There are a large variety of breakfast offerings, which you can pair up or order separately. For 2500-3000 AMD (5.5-6.5 USD) on average, you can have a nourishing breakfast. Options include but are not limited to: boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, eggs with ham, yogurt with fruits or croissants with jam or honey.

Pay special attention to tea, as The Italian offers an assortment of delicious teas for people with different preferences. Bread also deserves special attention because it’s prepared by a specialized chef.

Café Central

Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from other people’s mistakes.

If you wish to have a tasty breakfast with excellent service, consider visiting a place other than Café Central. The average breakfast will cost you 2500 AMD (5.5 USD). The service is less than average: you get your food in 30 minutes or more. The omelette was overcooked, the toasts were not fresh, and the coffee was cold and not tasty. Tea was “meh,” not different from the ones you can get for 700 AMD (1.5 USD) pack from you local grocery store.

This may be the result of my bad luck or a bad day for the café, however, you get only one chance in the food industry.